The infamous record set in the 2013 Wallabies v British and Irish Lions third Test that the current crop need to be careful about
2013 Lions tour
The Wallabies are set to welcome the British and Irish Lions to Sydney for the third and final Test on Saturday, as the two sides wrap up what has been a memorable tour Down Under.
The last time the Lions faced the Wallabies in Sydney was in 2013, where they sealed a historic series win with a record-breaking performance. This time around, the stakes are very different. With the series already secured by Andy Farrell’s side following a dramatic comeback in Melbourne last week, the final Test is less about silverware and more about legacy.
The 2025 Wallabies
It’s a very different Wallabies squad from that of 12 years ago. The previous collection was filled to the brim with elite household names, in the prime of their glittering careers. Seasoned internationals like Will Genia, Adam Ashley-Cooper and James Horwill were in their prime, while this year’s squad lacks the star power and experience that defined the 2013 line-up.
The comparison is stark. The 2025 collection includes a debutant fly-half who was thrust into the spotlight in the first Test, a rugby league convert who is still adapting to the 15-man code, and several other selections wouldn’t have made the radar in 2013.
All this being said, their performance against the Lions in the second Test was impressive. It was an emotionally charged and powerfully cohesive display that rocked the expectant tourists. But the fact remains that the Lions came back and won, showing that they were much the better side, even at the Wallabies’ best.
Heading into the third Test, with only pride left to play for, there’s the very real concern that the Lions could run riot over their hosts in the final match, potentially even breaking the record set in 2013 when the tourists clocked their largest ever points total over the Wallabies.
2013 Wallabies v British and Irish Lions
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The decider, in which the Lions famously dropped Brian O’Driscoll from the matchday squad, started with another drop – of the ball by Genia – indicating the sequence of events that were to come. Within moments, Lions prop Alex Corbisiero was over for the first try of the game and the catalyst for a record-breaking win.
Wales legend Leigh Halfpenny continued to increase their lead throughout the half, as he capitalised on the early lead to sink penalty kick after penalty kick. Although the Lions were in firm control and on their way to a famous victory, their celebrations were put on hold at the end of the first half, when a young James O’Connor stepped through a maze of bodies to touch down under the posts – giving the Wallabies a moment of light in a pitch black Sydney evening.
A couple of successful Aussie kicks in the opening minutes of the second half put the score back within three, giving the hosts hope once again. Their optimism would be short-lived, however, as the now-retired Johnny Sexton expertly slid through a gap in the gold defence to regain the Lions’ control on the scoreboard.
Next up, thanks to some classy work by Halfpenny, it would be the standout winger George North who would then gallop down the left wing to score in the corner, before Wales teammate Jamie Roberts finished off proceedings after being put through a gap by Conor Murray.
Winning 16-41, this was the largest ever points total by a Lions team against the Wallabies, while their largest ever margin of victory over the hosts came in 1966 when they famously won 0-31. Both are in serious danger this weekend.
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